Photo via Hunger Task Force - hungertaskforce.org
The Mobile Market
The Mobile Market
The Association of American Medical Colleges and the United States Department of Agriculture estimate that 23.5 million people live in food deserts; areas where residents are more than one mile away from a grocery store in an urban area.
So, why not bring the grocery store to them? That’s the idea behind the Hunger Task Force’s Mobile Market, a grocery store on wheels that makes food shopping more attainable for low-income residents in Milwaukee.
The Mobile Market makes stops throughout Milwaukee County year-round to offer groceries at a significant discount to ensure affordability. It started in 2016 as a response to a lack of access to healthy food throughout several areas of Milwaukee.
“The term ‘food desert’ has two components. One is a high concentration of poverty, and the second being limited access to markets or places to buy healthy foods,” says Matt King, CEO of Hunger Task Force.
The Mobile Market partners with Piggly Wiggly, Anthem, GE Health Care, and the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation, from whom they recently received a $50,000 grant.
Access and Affordability
Customers will find fruits and vegetables, meats, dairy and some grain. They do not carry highly processed foods. “We focus not only on improving access by bringing markets to neighborhoods but improving affordability by leveraging donor dollars to discount the prices,” says King. Items are discounted 25 percent off what customers would find in a store. The Mobile Maret accepts FoodShare, Quest cards or debit cards; all point-of-sales are cashless.
The Mobile Market makes 35 stops throughout the month. Locations are chosen based upon areas with a lack of grocery stores, or with a high concentration of people living in poverty. King adds that another big aspect is lack of transportation.
“We focus many Mobile Market stops on senior centers, which are places where we find a lot of low-income seniors with limited mobility. For them, getting to a store for their groceries, and getting back from the store to their place can be challenging.”
King says with the current high cost of living and most people navigating budgets, every little bit helps. “It can be the difference between skipping a meal or not skipping a meal or making that healthy food choice rather than a making a cost-effective but unhealthy food choice.”
The Mobile Market is staffed by Hunger Task Force and Piggly Wiggly staff, and by Hunger Task Force volunteers, all of whom King says offer excellent customer service. Guests also have opportunities to get connected with other resources, as staff members can assist people with signing up for FoodShare.
The Hunger Task Force is always reevaluating stops based on the number of shoppers and the amount of food they distribute. They are continuously adapting to be sure they are going to areas with the highest need. King would like to see the Mobile Market continue to expand and visit additional sites, along with more donor support behind the Mobile Market so they can expand the discount beyond the typical 25 percent.
“The Hunger Task force could not do what it does in the community without the help of volunteers. On an annual basis we incorporate over 15,000 volunteers across all our programs. Our signature sponsors of the mobile market are committed to making sure that everyone has access to healthy food.”
For more information about the Hunger Task Force Mobile Market and to see the schedule, visit hungertaskforce.org/what-we-do/mobile-market.
